Percutaneous post-operative choledochofiberscopic lithotripsy for residual biliary stones

A total of 5,116 post-operative percutaneous choledochofiberscopy (POC) sessions were performed on 739 patients with residual bile duct stones between 1980 and 1988. These residual stones were detected and removed by choledochoscopy. The success rate of non-surgical stone removal using POC was 100% for residual common duct stones and required 414 treatment sessions in this group of 168 patients. The success rate was 92.2% (525/569) for patients with residual intrahepatic stones; in this group a total of 4,694 treatment sessions were needed. Two patients with residual cystic duct stones were also successfully treated with POC. The distribution of residual intrahepatic stones was as follows: 166 (29.2%) in the right hepatic duct, 255 (44.8%) in the left hepatic duct and 148 (26.0%) in both hepatic ducts. Complications after POC were minimal and subsided after conservative treatment except in 2 patients. One patient had hemobilia and another a large subphrenic abscess, which required surgical drainage. Choledochofiberscopic electrohydraulic shock-wave lithotripsy was effective treatment for large stones and was well tolerated. Residual stones in Oriental gallstone disease are not preventable, and we believe that POC should be the first choice for these patients. Many of the problems associated with residual stones can be overcome by this method and good results achieved.